Abstract Thepurposeofthisstudyistounderstandcurrentpracticesofschoolnursesinalternativehighschools andhowwecantapintotheirexpertisefornurse-led,evidence-basedinterventionstoreducesubstanceuse andHIVriskbehaviorsinthissetting.Adolescentsubstanceuseisapublichealthepidemicandyouthwhoare athighriskforinvolvementwarrantparticularattention.Alternativehighschoolsserveagrowingpopulationof studentswhoareatriskfordroppingoutofschool.Thesestudentshavehigherlevelsofsubstanceuseand interrelatedHIVriskbehaviorsthantheirpeersinmainstreamhighschools.Yetalternativehighschoolsare ofteninadequatelyresourcedtomeetstudenthealthneedsandarelargelyneglectedasavenuefortargeting adolescentswhoareatgreatestriskforsubstanceuseandHIVriskbehavior.Schoolnursesarewell-qualified toaddressthesesensitivehealthtopicswithoutplacingadditionalburdensonteachersorotherschoolstaffto implementinterventions.However,theirroleinaddressingsubstanceuseandHIVriskbehaviorinthissetting hasnotbeenexaminedtodate.Inthisstudy,wewillconductastatewidesurveywithnursesworkinginTexas alternativehighschools,followedbykeyinformantinterviewstoachievethefollowingaims:(1)describethe landscapeofschoolnursingpracticeinalternativehighschools,and(2)explorethefeasibilityofimplementing evidence-based,nurse-ledinterventionstoaddresssubstanceuseandHIVriskbehaviorintheAHSsetting. Oursurveyandkeyinformantinterviewswillelicitinformationabout:(1)currentstaffingmodels,(2)current practicesrelatedtosubstanceuseandHIVriskbehavior,(3)attitudes,comfort,andinteresttowardaddressing substanceuseandHIVriskbehaviorsandleadingevidence-basedinterventions,and(4)barriersto addressingsubstanceuseandHIVriskbehaviorandideasforovercomingthosebarriers.Convenience samplingwillbeusedtorecruitsurveyparticipantsfromalistofeveryalternativehighschoolinTexas(n= 957);?purposivemaximumvariationsamplingwillbeusedtorecruitkeyinformantinterviewparticipants. Quantitativeresultswillbeanalyzedusingdescriptivestatistics(e.g.,means,frequencies,percentages),with groupcomparisonsbeingmadewhereappropriate(e.g.,typeofalternativeschool,staffingmodel).Qualitative resultswillbeanalyzedusingconventionalcontentanalysis;?thePIandagraduateresearchassistantwill independentlycodedataandmeettocompareandrefinecodesforinter-raterreliability.Quantitativeand qualitativefindingswillbeintegratedafteranalysesarecompleteforthepurposeoftriangulation.Findingsfrom thisstudywillbeleveragedtoachieveourlong-termobjective:todevelopfutureevidence-based,nurse-led interventionstoaddresssubstanceuseandHIVriskbehaviorinthealternativehighschoolsetting.